Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are reportedly struggling with the fallout from their parents' association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, according to sources. The sisters, once part of a close-knit family unit described by their mother Sarah Ferguson as a 'table with four legs', now face a 'strained' dynamic.
Newly emerged emails from the 'Epstein files' reveal that Epstein paid for Sarah and her daughters to fly to the US for lunch at his Palm Beach mansion in 2009, shortly after his release from prison. The princesses were 19 and 20 at the time. In other messages, Sarah made crude comments about Eugenie's love life and called Epstein 'the brother I have always wished for'.
Royal author Robert Jobson, who knows the family, said: 'They must be overwhelmed and aghast by this. What was she thinking? Taking her daughters – the late Queen's granddaughters – to meet this vile convicted criminal? It really beggars belief.'
Despite the crisis, a family friend denies reports that Eugenie has cut off contact with her father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Beatrice was recently seen riding at Windsor with her father and her daughter Sienna. Andrew, who was stripped of his titles, has moved from Royal Lodge to a cottage on the Sandringham estate.
Sarah is reportedly lying low at an overseas spa, feeling guilty and worried about her mental health. The sisters spent Christmas with the King instead of their parents, a move that sources say 'speaks volumes'. The full story appears in the latest issue of HELLO! magazine.
